Warped plane berm

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a structural configuration, the purpose of which is to eliminate the possibility of having a mismanaged vehicle collide with the ends of parapet walls, piers or other conventional bridge components. Said structural configuration is a long, warped plane which begins as a concrete extension and continuation of a highway or road berm or shoulder and gradually evolves into a more or less vertical position, forming the parapet for a bridge. Said warped plane will cause a mismanaged vehicle to be gradually led back on the highway, away from the parapet or other obstruction. My invention precludes the possibility of a head-on collision with parapet walls and the like by eliminating their end profiles or areas. This is done by blending the more or less vertical obstruction into the more or less horizontal plane of the berm or shoulder via the warped plane.

United States Patent [72] Inventor James A. Morrett, Jr.

- R. D. 4, Box 986, Harrisburg, Pa. 17112 [21] Appl. No. 837,423 [22] Filed June 30, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [54] WARPED PLANE BERM 3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 94/1, 94/31, 256/13.1 [51] Int. Cl EOlc 1/00 [50] Field of Search ..272/56.5, 5; 94/1, 1.5, 31; 14/1;256/l3,1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,769 5/1892 Howard 272/5 2,057,708 10/1936 Caye 94/1 2,153,392 4/1939 Robertson '94/1.5 2,254,482 9/1941 Heller 272/56.5

Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenoff Atl0rneyGerald K. Kita ABSTRACT: This invention relates to a structural configuration, the purpose of which is to eliminate the possibility of having a mismanaged vehicle collide with the ends of parapet walls, piers or other conventional bridge components. Said structural configuration is a long, warped plane which begins as a concrete extension and continuation ofa highway or road berm or shoulder and gradually evolves into a more or less vertical position. forming the parapet for a bridge. Said warped plane will cause a mismanaged vehicle to be gradually led back on the highway, away from the parapet or other 0bstruction. My invention precludes the possibility of a head-on collision with parapet walls and the like by eliminating their end profiles or areas. This is done by blending the more or less vertical obstruction into the more or less horizontal plane of the berm or shoulder via the warped plane.

PATENTEDAUGIHQII I 3.599.542

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR PATENTED mm 1 an SHEET 2 [IF 2 mvamro A characteristic safety hazard in all existing bridges is the physical possibility of collision with accepted standard component parts of said bridges. Many lives are needlessly lost each year in collisions ofhis nature.

It is an object of my invention to eliminate the possibility of having a mismanaged vehicle collide with the ends of parapet walls, piers or other conventional bridge components by eliminating the end profile of such components, by causing them to gradually evolve into the substantially horizontal profile of the standard highway berm or shoulder. This gradual evolution of profiles or cross sections, a transition from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical, must take place in a length commensurate with the anticipated speed of approaching vehicles. That is to say, as the vehicular speed increases, the length of the war ed plane must also increase, as too short a transition could cause the vehicle to overturn.

It is a further object of my invention to preclude collision with other conventional highway structures, such as the ends of retaining walls, guardrails, sign standards, or other vertically projecting obstruction removed from the highway or roadway.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others, skilled in the art, may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions ofa particular use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one end ofa standard bridge, utilizing the principle of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a typical highway roadbed.

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view ofa typical highway or road berm in accordance with my invention.

FIGS. 4 through 11 are transverse sections taken at regular intervals through the warped plane length looking in the direction of traffic flow. Said sections are indicated on FIG. 3 by lines 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10 and 11-11.

As shown in FIG. 2, standard highway construction comprises a plurality of driving lanes 2 and a berm or shoulder 4 abutting and running parallel to the outside edge of each driving lane. Berm or shoulders 4 are generally made of a stabilized fill such as earth or crushed stone. In the utilization of the present invention, this will be replaced with a structural concrete slab 6 on grade as a continuation and extension of said berm or shoulder. Location of berm material change will be dependent upon the anticipated vehicular speed. The concrete slab 6 defines a warped plane 8 the surface of which gradually revolves from its initial or beginning substantially horizontal position portion generally parallel to and abutting the outside edge 11 of said driving lane, as shown in FIG. 5, to its final substantially vertical position portion shown as 6' in FIG. 11, thereby forming a bridge parapet providing the entire bridge structure, or other vertically projecting obstruction, with no head-on profile to be struck by an approaching vehicle. FIGS. 4 through 11 illustrate the progressive cross-sectional changes in slab 6 as it assumes its final configuration.

The effective length of the warped plane 8 will be determined by the conditions of use of the particular road or highway on which the bridge or other obstruction is located. It will necessarily be of a length commensurate with the anticipated speeds of approaching vehicles. The transition must be gradual enough to preclude the possibility of overturning a vehicle as said vehicle comes in contact with said warped plane. I

As an additional safety feature, the resultant trapezoidal shape cant strip shown as 10in FIG. 3, filling the area between the edge 11 of the driving lane 2 and the warped plane 8, and overlying the lower edge 12 of the warped plane 8, will be concrete, basically triangular in cross: section and varying in width, as shown in FIGS. 7 through III, in addition to FIG. 3. Said section of concrete, forming a cant strip, could be tooled with transverse ridges to create a singing sound to alert inattentive drivers thus warning the driver to steer his vehicle back onto the roadway before driving onto or otherwise contacting the warped plane 8.

An additional purpose of the cant strip 10 is to replace the conventional curb normally found at the inside base of a bridge parapet, which is used to prevent the body of a vehicle from coming in contact with said parapet wall.

In use, unless the steering wheel of a vehicle is deliberately held on a collision course, the structural configuration of my invention will cause the vehicle to deflect off the warped plane 8 and be gradually led back on the driving lane of the road or highway 2 by the warped plane 8, thereby avoiding collision with the parapet wall or other bridge component.

It is to be understood that my invention can be adapted to other situations with equal case, such as pier structures under the bridge; disassociated hazards such as guardrails and posts, light standards, retaining walls; or any object or condition which could cause a collision or wreckage.

A further advantage of my invention is that it can be constructed adjacent to existing bridges, thereby increasing their safety. Said construction need not become a structural part of said bridge, hence construction cost for the addition is low. Also the device can be constructed adjacent to any other existing obstruction positioned adjacent to but removed from a driving lane.

What I claim is:

1. A warped plane berm at the side ofa roadway traffic lane to protect traffic approaching an obstruction located at the side of the traffic lane comprising,

an elongated berm strip laterally adjacent to said traffic lane and having a first beginning end portion generally coplanar with the shoulder of said traffic lane at the approach side of said obstruction,

a second portion of said berm strip terminating adjacent to said obstruction and being generally vertically oriented with respect to said traffic lane,

said second portion being spaced from said traffic lane, and

said berm strip having an intermediate connecting portion connected between the first and the second portion of said berm strip, said connecting portion further being gradually warped between said approach end portion and said vertical portion thereby forming a warped plane surface increasingly spaced from ti. edge of the traffic lane from the beginning end portion of the berm l.\ "aid vertical portion.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said berm strip warped portions additionally comprise a cant strip mea. disposed in the space between said traffic lane and said berm strip, said cant strip means being generally triangular in cross section and tapering to a knife edge at the beginning portion ofsaid berm strip.

3. The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein said cant suip means is provided with ridges for warning a driver of a vehicle to steer said vehicle back onto the driving lane. 

1. A warped plane berm at the side of a roadway traffic lane to protect traffic approaching an obstruction located at the side of the traffic lane comprising, an elongated berm strip laterally adjacent to said traffic lane and having a first beginning end portion generally coplanar with the shoulder of said traffic lane at the approach side of said obstruction, a second portion of said berm strip terminating adjacent to said obstruction and being generally vertically oriented with respect to said traffic lane, said second portion being spaced from said traffic lane, and said berm strip having an intermediate connecting portion connected between the first and the second portion of said berm strip, said connecting portion further being gradually warped between said approach end portion and said vertical portion thereby forming a warped plane surface increasingly spaced from the edge of the traffic lane from the beginning end portion of the berm to said vertical portion.
 2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said berm strip warped portions additionally comprise a cant strip means disposed in the space between said traffic lane and said berm strip, said cant strip means being generally triangular in cross section and tapering to a knife edge at the beginning portion of said berm strip.
 3. The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein said cant strip means is provided with ridges for warning a driver of a vehicle to steer said vehicle back onto the driving lane. 